Clothes-line holder.



J. TEMPLE. CLOTHES LINE HOLDER.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1899.)

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Patented Apr. I7, I900.

rrnn STATES PATnN FFICE.

CLOTHES-LINE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 647,587, dated April 17,1900.

Application filed November 22, 1899. Serial No. 737,874. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES TEMPLE, of Arcadian Mines, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Line Holders, of which the followingis a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in clothes-line holders.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a construction whereby the holder may be readily dismantled and its parts assembled or folded in compact form for convenient shipment and when received at a destination the parts are capable of being reassembled and readjusted for use with but very little trouble and loss of time.

A still further object resides in the simplicity, durability, and cheapness of the device.

With the above and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the invention with portions broken away and showing the parts properly adjusted as when the device is in use, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 3 indicates a main post or standard, which is provided along one side for a desired distance with a rack 4. This post is incased from its lower portion upwardly for a desired distance by a boxing or casing 5, said boxing or casing forming a guideway or hearing for the main post and being provided on one side with a vertical slot 6, through which the teeth of the rack 4 are exposed. This boxing or casing is surrounded at or near its upper and lower ends, respectively, by bands 7 7. Projecting from the slotted side of the casing are cars 8 S, which form bearings for a shaft 9, one end of said shaft being extended and provided with a crank 10. Mounted fast on the shaft and located between the ears 8 is a pinion 11, the teeth of which are adapted to mesh with the teeth of the rack.

Connected by pivot-bolts 12 to the four sides of the upper band 7 are the inner ends of straps 13. The two straps from two opposed sides extend outwardly in opposite directions to each other, and the two straps from the two other opposed sides of the band also extend outwardly-in opposite directions to each other, but at right angles to the first-referredto straps. To the outer ends of these straps are connected the upper ends of supportinglegs 14, which extend downwardly at an incline, so that the lower ends thereof are spread apart, and thereby provide a firm base. Stays 15 are detachably connected at their inner ends, by means of removable bolts 16, to the four sides of the lower band 7. Two of these stays extend out from two opposed sides of the band in opposite directions, and the other two stays extend outwardly in op posite directions from the other two opposed sides of the band, but at rightangles to the first two referred-to stays. The outer ends of the stays are connected to the respective supporting-legs by means of pivot-bolts 17. The outer ends of the stays are preferably provided with straps 18, projecting therefrom, the outer ends of said straps receiving therethrough the bolts 17, which connect the stays to the legs.

In order to hold the device securely to the ground, so as to insure against the holder being thrown over by high winds or other causes, I prefer to provide L-shaped anchors 19, which are driven into the ground, with the bends of the anchors uppermost and fitting over notches formed in the lower ends of the legs. The upper end of the main post is provided with a socket 20.-

The numeral 21 indicates an arm post which is provided with a depending spindle 22, which fits and is revoluble in the socket 20 of the main post. To the sides of the armpost, at a desired point above the lower end thereof, are pivoted on bolts 23 the arms 24. Two of these arms are pivoted to two of the opposed sides of the post and extend outwardly therefrorn in opposite directions, and the other two of said arms are pivoted to the two other opposed sides of the post and extend outwardly therefrom in opposite directions, but at right angles to the first two mentioned arms. To the top of the arm-post is secured a plate 25, having projections radiating therefrom corresponding in number to the number of arms employed. To the outer ends of these projections are detachably connected the inner ends of braces 26 by means of removable bolts 27. These braces extend downwardly to the arms and are connected at their outer ends to said arms by means of pivot-bolts 28.

It will be understood that in the use of my invention the line on which the clothes are hung is secured to and extended from one arm to the other. In order to conveniently hang the clothes, it may be necessary to lower the arms, so as to be at proper position to enable the person to reach the same. This is accomplished merely by turning the crank 10 in the proper direction to cause a down movement of the post 3, and when the desired potion is reached a hook 29 is caused to engage the crank, whereby the post is held in adj usted position. The person hanging the clothes can then turn the arms 24 around, and be thereby enabled to distribute the clothes or articles to be dried around the holder. After the clothes are hung and it is desired to again elevate the post 3, so as to bring the suspended clothes the proper distance above the ground, this is accomplished by releasing the hook 29 and turning the crank 10 in the opposite direction to that in which it was first turned, the hook 29 being caused to again engage the crank when the proper elevation is reached.

An important feature of my invention is the facility and ease in which the parts can be dismantled and adjusted together in compact form for shipment. In order to accomplish this, the bolts 27 are removed, and the inner ends of the braces thereby disconnected. The arms will then fall down, turning on the pivots 23, and will lie against the opposed sides of the post 8. The arm-post 21 is now raised out of engagement with the post 8. The braces 26 are next swung to the outer ends of the arms 24 and said arms and braces securely tied together. The next step is to remove the bolts 16, which connect the inner ends of the stays l5, and then turn said stays either upwardly or downwardly adjacent to the legs. The legs are now drawn in together at the bottom, and thepost 3, boxing 5, and the legs and their stays all securely tied together. In order to adjust the parts together for use,of course the reverse operation is necessary. In the first instance the holder may be raised or lowered merely by attaching the outer ends of the stays 15 at a lower or higher point of the legs. The lower this attachment is of course the higher the upper portions of the legs 14 will extend, and consequently the height to which the post 3 can be adjusted will be correspondingly increased.

I do not-wish to be understood as limiting myself to any particular number of supporting-legs and their stays nor to any particular number of armsand their braces, as the device may be constructed in order to provide for any desired number of these parts, so long as there are a plurality thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invent-ion.

Where it is not desired that the arms should revolve, it is not necessary to provide a separate arm-post having the revoluble connec tion with the main post, as said main post may be extended upwardly a greater distance and the arms connected to and extended outwardly from said extension. It is also not absolutely necessary that the boxing or casing need be of the particular form herein shown and described.

WVhat I claim as my invention is In aclothes-line holder, the combination, of.

an upright guide, legs pivotally connected at their upper ends to the upper end of the guide, the lower ends of said legs adapted to rest on the ground, or other supporting medium, braces pivotally connected at their inner ends to a lower portion of the guide, and having their outer ends pivotally connected to the legs, the pivot of each brace at one end of the brace being removable so as to permit the braces to be collapsed, a main post fitted in the guide, said post formed or provided at an upper portion thereof with projecting arms, means for adjusting the main post vertically in the guide, and means for holding the main post in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES TEMPLE.

WVitnesses:

HECTOR HEBERT, JosErH J. MORTON. 

